Locomotive toy.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

D. P. CLARK.

LOOOMOTIVE TOY. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1904.

8111mm m Pawb/LZ? Clark,

Witnqsowo abbot/nu;

NITED STATES Patented July 4, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID P. CLARK, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO D. P. CLARK & COMPANY, OFDAYTON, OHIO, A FIRM.

LOCOMOTIVE TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,637, dated July 4,1905.

Application filed July 25, 1904. Serial No. 218,006.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatI, DAVID P. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Toys, ofwhich the following is .a specification, reference being bad therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to locomotive toys,

ment being such that the expense of manufacture 1s reduced to a minimum,while the toy is rendered safe for childrens use by reason of thelocation of the spur-gearing in such a way that injury to the fingers ofthe user is prevented.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which Iwill now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in theclaims. 1 a

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of alocomotive toy embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. Sis a detail sectional view taken on the line X X ofFig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 4: is adetail side elevation illustrating a modification.

My present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon theconstruction set forth in my Letters Patent No. 768,268, dated August23, 1904, for improvements in locomotive toys, in which application asoriginally filed the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 ofthe present application was shown and described.

In carrying out my present invention I employ a suitablesupporting-frame 1, in which is mounted an inertia-wheel 2 ofconsiderable weight, said inertia-wheel having an axle 3 mounted insuitable bearings in the frame 1 and extending beyond the same at oneend, as indicated at 4:. The frame is supported on running-wheels, ofwhich there may be four, arranged in pairs, one pair, which may beence-numeral 8.

the front pair, being indicated by the refer- V ence-numeral 5 and theiraxle by the reference-numeral 6, while the other pair, which may be therear pair, are indicated by the reference-numeral 7 and their axle bythe refer- One of these running-wheels has incorporated with it a largespur-gear 9, preferably formed in one piece therewith, said spur-gearhaving its teeth directed inwardly or toward the axis of revolution ofsaid running-wheel,which constitutes a driving-wheel. Said spur-gear 9is located on that side of the central vertical plane of thedriving-wheel which is adjacent to the frame 1, and the inertia-wheelaxle 3 has its extension 4 beyond said frame located adjacent to andwithin said spur-gear 9 and is provided with a spurpinion 10, whichmeshes directly with said spur-gear, within which it is positioned. Itwill be seen that said spur-pinion is located between the side of theframe structure and the body portion of the adjacent drivingrunning-wheel, in which position it is protected by said wheel and framein such. a manner that'it will be difficult if not impossible for theoperator of the toy to get his fingers caught in the spur-gearing. Thisis a matter of very high importance, since such toys are usuallyoperated by and intended exclusively for children, and the constructionjust described permits the utilization of the highlyefl'ectivespur-gearing without the consequent danger of injury to the child byreason of its fingers being mutilated by being caught in the gearing. Itwill further be noted that the spur-pinion is so arranged relatively tothe spur-gear that its inner face does not extend inward beyond theinner face of the latter, the absence of any projection of the pinionbeyond the spur avoiding any possible danger of the pinching orentangling of the fingers or clothing of the operator within the anglewhich would otherwise be formed between said projectionand the innerface of the gear, while at the same time the inertiawheel axle is set sofar back from the gear as to avoid any danger of this kind.

It will be observed that the inertia-wheel axle is mounted in fixedbearings in the frame in a position parallel with the axis of revolutionof the driving running-wheel, the relation between said running-wheelaxis and the axis of the inertia-wheel and pinion being fixed, so thatthe transmission of power from the inertia-wheel to the driving-wheel isabsolute and not dependent upon relative movement of these parts throughpressure or gravity, as is the case of frictional driving toys. It willalso be observed that the inertia-wheel axle is in approximately thesame horizontal plane as the axes of revolution of the runningwheels, sothat the center of gravity of the toy is made low and all tendency tocareen when at high speed is avoided.

The toy may be prepared for operation by moving it over a suitablesurface, with the running-wheels pressed against said surface, whereby arapid movement of rotation will be positively imparted to theinertia-wheel. The toy may then be operated by placing it upon asuitablesurface and releasing it, whereupon the inertia-wheel will positivelyimpart its rotary movement to the driving runningwheel and will thuscause the toy to travel a considerable distance at a relatively highspeed. Sincev there are no frictional contactsurfaces employed totransmit the power, machine finishing and the consequent expense may bedone away with, and when the internal gear is formed in one piece withthe driving running-wheel the wheel and gear may be readily cast at aminimum expense.

It will be understood, of course, thata suitable toy-body of any kindmay be secured to or mounted on the frame; but the particular characterof this toy-body forms no part of my present invention,and I have not,therefore, illustrated it.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to theprecise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in theaccompanying d'rawings, as itis obvious that these details may bemodified without departing from the principle of my invention. Forinstance, the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, has thespur-pinion located between the frame side and the adjacentrunning-wheel, since the pinion isjn a plane between the planes of saidrunning-wheel and frame side; but the pinion projects slightly above theframe side, which is not objectionable as a rule, since the toy-body andthe upwardly-extending running-wheel above the pinion will amply protectthe same. The pinion may, however, be located not only in a planebetween the running-Wheel and frame side, but also may be so arranged asto be wholly protected by these two parts, as shown in Fig. 4, in whichthe pinion does not project either above or below the frame side or therunning-wheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A locomotive toy comprising a frame, running-wheels mounted thereinand having each a body portion, a large spur-gear incorporated with oneof the running-wheels with its teeth opening inward and located on theside of said wheel nearest the frame, and an inertia-wheel having ahorizontal axle parallel withthe axis of the driving running-wheel andmounted in fixed bearings in the frame, said axle having a spur-pinionthereon located between the side of the frame structure and the bodyportion of the adjacent runningwheel and meshing directly with thespurgear, within which it is positioned, the relations betweenthe'running-wheel axis and the inertia-wheel and pinion axis beingfixed, substantially as described.

'2. A locomotive toy comprising a frame, running-wheels mounted thereinand having each a body portion, a large spur-gear incorporated with oneof the running-wheels with its teeth opening inward and located on theside of said wheel nearest the frame, and an inertia-wheel having ahorizontal axle parallel with the axis of the driving running-wheel andmounted in fixed hearings in the frame, said axle having a spur-pinionthereon located between the side of the frame structure and the bodyportion of the adjacent. running-wheel and meshing directly with thesaid spur-gear, within which it lies so asqto not project inward beyondthe same where said pinion and gear intermesh, the relations between therunning-wheel axis and the inertia-wheel and pinion axis being fixed,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID P. CLARK.

Witnesses:

CARL F. SHUBER, CARRIE SCHMIDT.

